Frederick mathushek



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK MATHUSHEK, OF NEY YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOIL TO HDISFLF AND YELLINGTON IVELLS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

PIANOFORTE.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 30,279, dated October 2, 1860.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK Marl-1U- sHnk, of the city of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Pianofortes; and I hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description of the saine, reference being had to the annexed drawings, and characters of reference marked thereon, as part of this specification.

First. I make the case and frame work of the pianoforte as follows: The ends or curved parts l l of the case shown in Figure l are composed of white wood or other veneers about one eighth of an inch thick glued together in the usual manner to the thickness of about live eighths of an inch. These are joined on the back by a straight board 2 about three fourths of an inch thick and are connected in front by the key bottoni 3 the wrest plank 4L and the wrest plank'bar 5 hereinafter described. The key bottoni and the wrest plank are of the shape indicated in Fig. l and extend into the left end of the case to which they are iitted and attached. A rib t of wood about two inches thick and three inches wide is fastened around the middle of the back and ends of the case inside. A rail of hard wood (j, about seven inches wide and from one to one and a half inches thick is fastened upon and along the back edge of the key bottom and to the case at the ends, leaving the space between the rail and the inner edge of the wrest plank for the play of the hammers. I also put in the interior a brace b of stiff light wood about three inches square extending from end to end of the case with a` similar brace c across the middle from the back to the rail 6.

This description applies to my new pianoforte of which a plan view is given in Fig. l.

The extreme lenO'th of the case is aboutseven feet and the width from the back-to the corner in front about three and a half feet. The name board falls over the keys as in the grand piano.

Fig. 2 is a section through line X X. Fig. 8 is a section through line Y Y. Fig. e is a section through line Z Z.

Second. The wrest-plank 4L is of hard wood (I use maple) about one and a half inches thick and nine inches wide at the right end. The other dimensions and its shape are indicated in Fig. l. A portion of the upper inner surface of the wrest plank is cut away or recessed to the depth of about three eighths of an inch to receive a bar 5,'

which I call the wrest plank bar. This recess extends from the right end of the wrest plank to the left end of the bar o which reaches to the covered strings and the recess conforms to the shape of the bar. The recess to receive bar 5 may be made by gluing to the adjacent surface of the wrest plank a piece three eighths of an inch thick of the proper shape. The wrest-plank-bar o is made of hardwood (I use maple) abouttwo and a half inches thick, four inches wide at the right end and about live inches at the left end and is of the shape indicated in Fig. l. The unn der side of this bar which lits in the recess of the wrest plank has a square rabbet on the back or inner under edge from end to end about half an inch deep and increasing in width from half an inch at the right to one inch at the left end of the bar. This rabbet is to receive the bridge 8 hereinafter mentioned. The rest of the under surface of the bar has transverse grooves about half an inch deep and one quarter of an inch wide through which the strings pass to the wrestpins 7 These grooves are made sufticiently oblique from the direct line of the strings as appears in Fig. l to permitthe side bearing of the strings against the bridge pins. Instead of having a bridge on the wrest pla ik I place the bridge S Fig. 2 in an inverted position in the said rabbet in the bar 5 so as to run across the ends or mouths of the transverse grooves. Opposite the mouth of each groove a saddle with a prominent ridge is formed on the said bridge the ridge of each saddle being at right angles to the direction of the strings crossing it and in the ridge the usual bridge pins are inserted obliquely. The saddles for the treble strings may be cut on a strip of brass sunk in the bridge to make the bearing more firm. The bar thus furnished is fastened in the recess or rabbet in the wrest plank, the bar projecting far enough over the back or inner edge of the wrest plank at the right end over the treble strings to enable the hammers to strike the said strings as near to the break or point of contact on the bridge as may be necessary.

I am aware of the improvements of Messrs. Brown, ckerly, @bickering and Voght, which are distinct and dierent inventions from mine and all of'which I disclaim. In mine the bar 5 combined with the wrest plank and cross bars forms a part of the frame work of the piano and makes a solid bed for receiving the bridge and strings at the wrest plank in the manner described.

Third. The string plate 9 is of the sha-pe indicated in F ig. 1 varying in the grand and other pianos suitably to the size and sweep of the case. It may be made of hard wood (I use maple) about one and a half inches thick. On the under side it is slightly conveX to correspond with the concave of the sounding board, the two being about half an inch apart when in position. The configuration of the inner edge of the plate is suited to the scale and shape of the piano, the outer edge is closely fitted to the case. It has apertures 10 to allow the sounding board bridges for the covered strings to project. The said plate is cut away or recessed under the covered strings about one inch deep leaving ledges 11 at the right end of the recess about half an inch high, in which the hitch pins for those strings are placed. For the purpose of hitching the remaining strings a. plate 12 of brass or other metal or com position about one-eighth of an inch thick and four inches wide is firmly fastened by screws to the under side of the string plate along its inner edge, the brass plate projecting about half an inch beyond the edge of the string plate and corresponding in its shape with the same. rIhe brass plate has a thin rim or flange of the same material equal in width to the thickness of the edge of the string plate, covering that edge and also fastened to it by screws from one to two inches apart. The projecting edge of the brass plate is pierced with holes to receive the strings at the points required by the scale. If the string-plate should be made 0f metal the device for hitching the strings would be made entire with the plate. The string plate is supported and fastened in its position by gluing it to the case and by screws passing through into the rib a; also by one or more small posts d CZ placed in the interior braces coming up through the sound board at points near the inner edge of the plate, one of them being under the middle cross bar; a screw bolt e about half an inch thick is put up through the interior brace c passing through the post Z and the plate into the said cross bar.

Fourth. The string plate, wrest plank and other parts are held in position against the tension of the strings by cross bars 13 passing from the ends and middle of the wrest plank bar over and nearly in the direction of the strings to opposite points upon the string plate the bars having shoulders against the edge of the plate and the wrest plank bar; the forward end of the plate is also tted with a shoulder against the right end of the wrest plank bar, and its rear end is connected with the left end of the wrest plank by a bar similar to the other cross bars extending along the back of the case and fastened to it. These bars may be made of wood or metal or other suitable substance. In wood I use ash, about one and a half inches thick at the base and two and threefourths of an inch in height, narrowing from the bottom to the top with whatever style of ornamental surface may be desired. The longest cross bar has near its middle a screw bolt f shown in Fig. 2 about onehalf an inch thick connecting it with the interior brace b to stiffen it. The cross bars are fastened upon the plate and the bar 5 with pins, glue and screws.

Fifth. I make the sounding board 14 concave by bending it to the depth of about three-quarters of an inch at the middle, not confining myself however to any particular depth of the concave. I make it of the usual material and thickness stiffening it by bending and gluing ribs of spruce about three-eighths of an inch thick and one inch wide transversely across the under side at intervals of about eight inches. I fasten the edge of the board around the back and right end of the case and to the rail 6 along the top of said rail and the rib a of the case; the board presenting its concave upward.

Sixth. The sounding board bridges 17 are bent to the concave of the board and fastened on in the usual way. The bridges for the covered strings project through apertures 10 in the spring plate about threeeighths of an inch above the face of the recess. The bridge for the other strings is mounted with breaks 1S made of brass or other wire about one-sixteenth of an inch thick cut in pieces three-eighths of an inch long. On that part of the bridge over which the higher treble strings pass the breaks may be made of a continuous piece. Each set of breaks holds a pair of strings and is placed under them at right angles to their direction the breaks being about one inch apart. Then placed in proper position according to the scale the break is fastened to the bridge by a pin through its center.

The strings are pressed down upon the breaks by means of screws 19 inserted in the bridge between the strings and about half way between the breaks; the said screws having flattened oval heads of sufficient size each to cover the two strings. In place of these screws forgrand pianos a cap may be screwed down over the strings. The string is put on by pasing it through the hole in the edge of the brass plate; then downward under the screw head 19 and over the breaks; thence along and upward under the saddle on the bridge 8 in the wrest plank bar and through the groove to the wrest pin. The string thus has an up bearing at the bridge lon the sounding board and an up bearing and side bearing at the bridge in the wrest plank bar; the degree of this up bearing will vary according to the depth of the concave of the sounding board. I have made the elevation from the sounding board-bridge to the string plate about three eighths of an inch. The covered strings cross over a portion of the others and are hitched at the right end by the usual pins inserted in the ledges 11 and by hitch pins on the bridges and at the left end by the usual arrangement of bridges and pins. But they have also an up bearing from the sounding board bridges similar to the other strings. I do not conne myself to making the string plate wrest plank, wrest plank bar and cross bars of wood as herein described. Although I have found the same advantageous, the parts may be made of metals or a combination of metals or of wood and metals or other materials the thickness of the parts being varied according to the relative strength of the materials used.

I contemplate the use and application of the improvements herein set forth substantially as herein described in the square, grand and all other styles of the pianoforte. I'Vhatever variations may be made in the relative position or dimensions of the sounding board, string plate, wrest plank and bar 5 the cross bars and interior braces or in the scale or shape of the piano in this combination and arrangement will come within the scope of my invention. In the square, grand and other pianos the position, figure and dimensions of the sounding board, wrest plank and bar 5 and the string plate and cross bars will vary according to the known differences in the ligure and construction of the said styles respectively.

The eect of this invention is that the frame work, including the case, string plate, wrest plank and all the bars and cross bars has greater strength for the uses of the pianoforte combined with lightness than heretofore attained and requires much less material. The mechanical structure and musical qualities of the instrument are both improved and brought into harmony. If made of wood the resistance of the frame work to the vibratory motion of the strings, will not be s o rigid as that of iron; its elasticity will enable the parts to yield slightly to the increased tension of the strings under the blow of the hammers but immediately to react. The vibratory motion of the strings will, for the same reason, be increased and prolonged. The wooden frame work will be less liable than a metallic one to contract and expand with changes of temperature and the instrument will consequently better maintain its pitch of tone.

The sounding board and strings as here arranged give increased volume of sound and length of vibration, the peculiar construction of the case also contributing to the same result. The tension of the strings in opposition to the resistance due to the arch of the sound board causes the same to respond with increased power and clearness. By the arrangement of the inverted bridge in the wrest plank bar, the upward blow of the hammers drives the string up against the bridge making the break more perfect than when driven off.

The combined effect of these improvements is a great increase of power melody and purity of tone in the pianoforte.

The invention which I claim as mine and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- I. The combination and arrangement of the cross bars 13; the wrest plank bar 5, the wrest plank et, the string plate 9 and the interior braces and bolts forming the frame work of the pianoforte substantially as herein set forth.

Q. The mode of arranging the strings of the pianoforte in combination with the arched or concave sounding board so as to make a tension or pressure of the strings against the arch of the board and in the same direction with the stroke of the hammers substantially as described.

3. The wrest plank bar 5 with the arrangement of the inverted bridge 8 or its equivalent and of the strings thereon in combination with said bar and the wrest plank and cross bars substantially as described.

Dated New York August 22d 1859.

F. MATHUSHEK.

lVitnesses:

J. T. MILLS, FRANCIS J. TUCKER. 

